


what's it like in new york city?

by josieswylie



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Delilah - Freeform, F/M, Hey, IT - Freeform, Like, York, city, in, new, there, whats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:00:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24884974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/josieswylie/pseuds/josieswylie
Summary: gina moved to new york city three days ago. and ricky misses her a lot. maybe a little too much.
Relationships: Ricky Bowen & Gina Porter, Ricky Bowen/Gina Porter
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	what's it like in new york city?

**Author's Note:**

> i wanna thank babs aka @rodrigoloveclub on twitter for this idea even though i barely did any of it :D

Three days. That’s how long it’s been since Gina left Salt Lake City and moved away. Three days where Ricky was constantly worried if she was okay since the last time he saw her, the Thanksgiving party. Three days since she’d last responded to his numerous text messages. Three days that were the most miserable he had been all year.

He sat on his dark wooden stairs, elbows on his legs as he stared at his phone which showed Gina’s new post. She was smiling bright in front of the Empire State Building. New York City. That’s where she was. Ricky had a long day already and was feeling sleepy since he came back from the tech rehearsal. but this woke him right back up.

If she posted on Instagram, that meant that she was on her phone, which meant that she had to have seen his text messages, right? Ricky sighed as he stared at the picture, his thumb darting around the screen, wondering if he should interact. After going back and forth in his mind for a minute, he decided to like it and put his phone away. Closing his eyes, he thought about the moment him and Nini had.

They almost kissed while they were running lines in the basement of the old theater. Ricky chewed his lip as he was going through the conversation again. They were talking about old times, when they were little. His lips turned up a little smile as he remembered how she nicknamed him Ricky because she refused to call anyone Richard.

The one moment he couldn’t get over was when they were about to kiss, when they were so close sitting on the piano bench. Something felt different between them, not like it was before. It just didn't feel how it did when they were together, he didn't get those butterflies like he always did when they kissed. In fact, the only thing he could think about at that moment, was Gina. If she was okay or not. And turns out she was.

He walked to his room, still going over the almost kiss again. Two months ago, he would've been ecstatic that this had happened, that his plan to get Nini back worked. He kept replaying when Big Red barged in on them. He hated to admit it but he felt relieved. Like he had let out a breath of air he had been holding. And he hated it so much.

Gina wasn't supposed to come into his life and turn it upside down. And just change everything between him and Nini. Ricky mentally hit his head, why couldn't he just be happy with her? Why did it feel like a part of him was missing when the missing piece should've been Nini?

He couldn't think about it any longer. So he decided to go to sleep, but the only thing on his mind was Gina in her picture and was wondering if she had felt as miserable as he was when she left.

\------------

“Ricky,” Gina sat on his bed with him smiling at each other like freaks. “Show me one of your songs.”

She walked over and brought him his wooden guitar, a look on her face inviting him to play. It was the day they had saved Miss Jenn from getting fired with their special performance, and the day after he had sung “When There Was Me and You,” to her. They had a long conversation after that about Ricky and his guitar and his singing. And a conversation on how Gina was the best dancer he knew. He even told her that sometimes he would write his own songs, which was something that he had never told anyone before. Not even Nini.

“I don't know, Gi,” he paused before taking it from her and putting it on the other side of his bed. He shook his head before confessing,“They’re not very good.”

She grabbed the guitar he took and put it back into his lab, giving him a reassuring smile. “I’m like a hundred percent sure that every song that you’ve written is sensational.”

Gina bit her lip, like she was deep in thought just for a moment and grabbed his hand without hesitation.“You’re sensational.”

They were flirting, anyone who looked at them for even a second could tell.

“Okay, how about this? I will sing you a song of your choice, not an original though, if you show me one of your dances.” He drummed on the guitar, a mischievous glint in his eye. There was something in the air that just made him want to flirt with her more than he already did.

They had a little stare down, Gina scrunching her face, which Ricky thought was the cutest thing in the world, before she gave in to it.

“Fine,” she dragged out the word, groaning and rolling her eyes, but a smile grew on her face. She poked him in the arm. “But you go first.”

“Anything for you, Porter.”

\---------------

Ricky woke up and a small gasp escaped from his mouth. Groaning a little and rubbing his eyes, he reached over for his phone. 2:17 A.M. He had an urge to text her, asking “What’s up?” or to say a “Hi.” He just wanted to talk to her, even if it was for just a minute.

R: Hey, it’s Ricky.

“Hey, it’s Ricky?” He rolled his eyes before putting a pillow over his face. She knew who he was, so why did he feel the need to tell her? Usually, he wouldn’t get so stressed about texting her, he never was stressed. But for some reason, recently his heart had been beating out of his chest everytime he sent a message. He put his phone down on the table beside him, out of all the messages he had sent, that one would not be the one she would respond to.

G: I know who you are lol

His phone buzzed. One of his eyebrows raised, not expecting a text from her so fast. He also tilted his head a little, wasn’t it like 4 A.M. in New York? What was she doing up so late/early?

R: So you couldn’t respond to any one of my 50 messages, huh?

His leg bounced up and down as those little bubbles kept moving. He ran a hand through his messy hair, overthinking every word he wrote. Maybe it was a little too fast to bring that up. He had never been so anxious while waiting for a text message before so why was he now?

G: I’m really sorry, Bowen. It’s been hard here, no friends and I didn’t feel like talking to you bc I knew that I wouldn't be able to see you anytime soon.

R: We could’ve facetimed and stuff.

G: Ik, but it's not the same as seeing you in person.

Ricky understood what she meant by that. Even though they could talk and could see each other's faces, he wouldn't be able to hold her hand or give her huge hugs, physical affections he always did when they were talking. He sighed a little before continuing to type.

R: Ya, I get it.

G: Yeah.

R: So how’s New York? It's a star city for a star girl ;)

A small blush crept up on his cheeks, it was fun flirting with her and just talking about random stuff. They flowed on the same level where they just got each other.

G: Wow Ricky. Even from behind the screen you’re a huge player, huh?

R: You got me Gina.

Something felt off when he was texting her. A little sadness flowing through the air. They rarely texted, and the times they did was only to tell each other to meet up somewhere or if they were coming over that day or not. It was weird because he was so used to her being nearby that it was hard for him to realize that she was actually thousands of miles away from him.

G: And New York is okay if you're wondering. I don't live in the city, more of a suburb but it's pretty cool. There's a lot of people here too.

R: You’re not gonna replace me…right?

G: Of course not. No one can ever replace you.

A big smile grew on his face, he imagined Gina’s voice saying it in his head which made it even bigger. It was cheesy, but it just made him want to melt.

R: You’re my world Porter.

G: Well you're my universe.

\---------------

“Ricky, you've been smiling at your phone for the past like ten minutes,” Big Red’s voice had a little edge to it, like he was starting to get annoyed with him. “Who is it?”

There was about two days before the musical was about to open its first show and tensions were high amongst all the theater kids. During rehearsal, there wouldn't be anyone not running lines or practicing their dances, singing, or working on last minute touches to make sure everything was perfect. However, Ricky was the only one staring at his phone the whole time.

“It’s no one,” A small laugh escaped from his lips as he continued typing. He was texting Gina, and a hundred percent invested in it.

They had gotten close recently, even closer than before. Usually, they would send each other funny videos that they liked and pictures of themselves with a sprinkle of flirting in between.

“No one? Really?” The red-headed boy tried to reach for his phone, but Ricky snatched it away just in time. He crossed his arms, trying to prove a point. “So it is someone.”

He looked around the room making sure no one would hear his confession to Red, especially Nini. “It’s Gina, okay?”

“Wait, I thought she hadn't texted you since she left.” He was never caught up in what was happening in Ricky’s life, he was just expected to know.

“She didn’t,” He kept his voice hushed, continuing to text her. “But after tech, she texted back.”

“The tech rehearsal?” Red was hurt by this, how did Ricky manage to not tell his best friend for a whole week?

“Yup.” Ricky was paying barely any attention to him, fully invested in Gina and their conversation.

“Well, did you tell her about… you and Nini?” He gave him a pointed look. Even though him and Gina weren’t necessarily friends, he still thought she had a right to know.

“What about me and Nini?” Ricky finally looked up from his phone to look at his friend. He said it a little too defensively, like he was trying to believe it himself.

Big Red gave him a don’t be dumb look. He saw what happened between them, and luckily he interrupted them just in time. If they had kissed, things would have been awful for Ricky, Gina, and Nini.

“There’s nothing between us, we’re just friends.”

“Speaking of Nini,” Big Red motioned him over to Nini who was staring at him with a shy smile, about to walk over.

Whenever she gave him that look before, Ricky would return it because they felt the same way about each other. But not anymore. He shoved his phone in his back pocket, trying not to hurt Nini’s feelings.

“Hey, Ricky!” She smiled a little too perkily with a glint of hope in her eyes.

“Hey, Nini!” There was fake enthusiasm dripping in his voice, he really didn’t want to talk to her. He would rather text Gina instead but he had to play along. Ricky felt bad if he didn’t return the feeling, he felt like he owed it to her.

She smiled at him, the way she used to when they were dating. They were waiting for someone to say something.

“You’re gonna do great in the musical, Ricky. I just know it,” She smiled when she complimented him, but it felt like a little more than just a compliment. She waited impatiently, her leg bouncing rhythmically.

“Yeah, uh, you too.” He was being so stand-offish with her, but it was the only thing he thought he could do. If he acted nice, she would’ve gotten the wrong idea of him. That he liked her, when the only person he had eyes for was Gina.

“Great. Um, see you tomorrow, Ricky!” Nini still had on that shy, innocent look. He had seen it millions of times, the eyes widened a little bigger, the lips pursed and the eyebrows raised up just a little.

That was the charm that she gave, her classic “girl next door” personality. Gina was different though. She didn't try to be the perfect good girl that everyone liked no matter what, she was just herself, one of the reasons why Ricky was so infatuated with her. Gina felt real with him, genuine.

\---------------

“I’ll have a hot chocolate with whipped cream, thank you!” Gina gave a smile to the server as she handed her menu to him.

It was just the two of them in the little café downtown. Salt Lake City was always freezing in November, so Ricky rarely went out of the house, but when Gina asked him to go with her, he couldn't help but accept the invitation. Ricky looked around at the familiar brick walls and the industrial lighting. The sky had already melted into a shade black, and the stars twinkled a little.

“Hot chocolate? With whipped cream?” Ricky sounded appalled by her order, his hand on his chest with fake shock.

She crossed her arms. “Don’t judge! And at least I didn't order a cupcake at 9 P.M.”

Gina had on her smug smile, the one she used when she was so sure of herself, so confident.

“What’s wrong with cupcakes? They’ve done nothing to hurt you,” There was a genuine smile on Ricky’s face, something he hadn't felt himself done since his parents told him they were getting divorced.

They both laughed a little before it died down. Ricky was puzzled by her. Ever since the night of Homecoming, he saw a side of her no one else did, and he really liked it. It was nice having her as a friend, they just understood each other in ways no one else did.

“Hey, Gina?” The boy was reluctant to ask his question, scared that it would ruin what was going on between them. “If you don’t mind me asking, how come you were so… I don't know, intimidating, to everyone during auditions?”

Her mouth opened, as if she was gonna say something, but she closed it.

“I mean, I wasn’t intimidated or anything but,” he was rambling, scared that he had struck a nerve of hers.

“No, it's okay,” she reassured him, putting her elbows on the table. “I think it’s just a way for me to not get too close with anyone. I have high hopes that I'm staying at East High, but in other places, it was really hard leaving all my friends.”

His eyes softened a little, a sympathetic look coming over his face. He didn't know what to say, if he could say anything.

“You're the first person I’ve told that to,” she admitted. Gina had stopped making eye contact with him, instead she was looking at her hands under the table.

Ricky’s lips pressed together, unsure of why she told him. Things changed at homecoming, he knew that, but he never thought they would be telling each other their lifelong secrets. He just wasn't ready for that, especially after Nini. His eyes darted down to the floor too, while clearing his throat. He realized he had been silent for a little too long.

“Thank you,” His eyebrows furrowed just a little. “For telling me that.”

She was silent for a moment, before nodding her head, “Yeah, I thought I could tell you, since we sorta get each other, right?”

He mimicked her, nodding his head too. “Yeah, we do.”

\-----------------

The sun was out, the sky was clear, it was perfect weather on the day of opening night. Since it was a Saturday, Ricky had the opportunity to wake up early and meet up with Big Red. He was upstairs doing god knows what while Ricky was in his bedroom/basement practicing his guitar. He strummed and sang softly as he played the song he had written for her, one of his originals.

Big Red walked back to his room holding a half-eaten pastry and his mouth full. His ears perked up as he heard Ricky’s song.

“I,” his leg bounced in beat with the rhythm. “Fell in love, with the only girl who knows what I’m about.”

Ricky's eyes glistened as he stared at the guitar, making sure everything was right. He hesitated a little when he sang the word “love,” but he always did whenever people used it.

“Wait,” Red swallowed the rest of the pastry. “Is this song for Gina?”

Ricky was silent for a little, he had no intention of her hearing it, or anyone knowing about it, but he decided to tell him. He could always trust him.

“Yes,” He said slowly, looking away from him.

“Not to sound rude or anything, but she's like three thousand miles away from Salt Lake City. And she's not coming back, dude.”

He already knew this, but he hated to be reminded of it. When he would doze off in class, he would daydream about Gina staying in Salt Lake. or what he would say to her if she came back, even for just one day.

“I already know that.” He snapped at him. Gina was a touchy subject for him.

“Also, again, not to sound rude or anything, but love? That's a little quick isn't it. It’s barely been three months since you guys have become friends,” There was a tinge of jealousy in his voice, and a lot of annoyance too.

“Yes, love.” He said it this time with confidence, “I fell in like with he only girl who knows what I’m about, sounds stupid.”

Did he love her? That was the main question on his mind.

“Ricky. You and Nini were dating for over a year and you couldn't even say I love you to her. Make it make sense. How do you love Gina when you barely know her?” Big Red was starting to get on his nerves.

He knows that he was just trying to be his voice of reason, and he did have many good points, but he couldn't help what he felt. The love he felt for Gina was different than how he felt about Nini.

“I don’t know, okay? I don’t know if I love her that way or not. But I do know that something’s different between us. Something more.” Ricky’s cheeks were flushed. It always happened when things started getting a little overwhelming.

They were silent, both avoiding each others’ eyes.

“Look, all I’m asking is that you give Nini a chance. She’s still my friend, and I’ve seen the way she’s looked at you recently,” Red said it in a way that seemed condescending. Like he owed it to Nini to give her a chance.

“Fine.”

**Author's Note:**

> i might continue i might not idk idk


End file.
